Moms who exclusively pumped

How long did you do it for?
My son was in the NICU and also has a cleft palate. I have tried nursing but was told he can't latch so therefore I have been exclusively pumping since he was born December 22. I have a ton of milk, have a great supply so much so that I have had to throw some away since we just don't have the room anymore for more milk. I have been renting the Medela symphony since he was born and I know for the amount of money Im spending I could have bought a pump for cheaper. Im just not sure how long I want to pump for. I have parties lined up where I don't want to bring the pump and we want to go away in August and it is tough to pump and bottle feed. I have gone at least 8hrs or so in between pumping and I feel I can control how much milk I produce. Is there a way where I can just pump 3x a day till he is a year old or will my milk go away for good? I also feel guilty stopping sooner then if I was EBF. Im so conflicted on what to do. I go back to work in September as a Nanny and there is not way I will be able to pump during the day while watching 3 kids and my own. Thanks for all your advice.

Message edited 5/7/2012 2:47:53 PM.

Re: Moms who exclusively pumped

My DD is 7 1/2 months and Im still pumping but Im also supplementing with formula. For the first 4 or 5 months I was able to give her almost all breast milk, pumping 3-4 times a day. But then I had a stomach virus and my milk took a huge hit and didnt come back. After that I prob had enough to give her 2 bottles of BM a day. I was pumping 3 times a day until I went back to work when she was 6 1/2 months and now I pump twice a day and she gets at least one BM bottle a day. Some people probably would have stopped by now considering the time put into pumping but I figure at least she's getting some BM and also, I have a history of breast cancer in my family so as long as I keep on getting milk, I plan on doing it until she's a year old (which is the timeframe what my dr said the studies are based on).

Re: Moms who exclusively pumped

I forgot to add that I am adding a little bit of formula to each bottle to help increase his weight. I would love to be able to just pump 2x a day morning and night till he is a year, just didn't know if it was possible.

Re: Moms who exclusively pumped

You can def cut it down to twice a day, but you probably won't make that much milk. I BF DD in the morning and at night, and pump once while I am at work. I used to get like 8 ounces for my first pump of the day, and now i usually only get 6 ounces. As long as you are ok supplementing with formula, you can cut down the pumping and your body will adjust. HTH.

Re: Moms who exclusively pumped

Thanks so much!

Re: Moms who exclusively pumped

I have been pumping for 8 months for my twins. I'm still pumping 6 to 7 times a day and am only now re building my freezer supply because the girls have 2 solid meals a day. I sure you can get down to what ever # of pumps you want, just take it slow. I ended up buying a symphony from ebay. Once you have used a symphony using a non-hospital grade just does not compare.